“I won’t risk my life in order to perform in Israel”

“I won’t risk my life in order to perform in Israel.”

Ami Fridman. Published 18.11.15, YNET

The producer of “Titans of Metal,” a festival in Israel with artists scheduled from all over the world, is revealing a scary method that is being used by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement (BDS).

“The artists are approaching me scared for their lives. They are receiving threatening emails, specifically telling them not to perform in Israel.” When the producer of the event turned to the Cultural Minister of Israel, Miri Regev, he discovered that he wasn’t the only one who is struggling with this issue.

He was told that every promoter in Israel that is planning to bring an artist is already anticipating a flood of calls to the artist from pro-Palestinian organizations persuading them to cancel. The high-profile artists receive a personal letter from Roger Waters, who asks them to reconsider the performance and join the cultural boycott. These letters by the ex-Pink Floyd are eventually made public.

However, methods used to deter artists are also happening behind the scenes. Which is the case with the “Titans of Metal,” a music festival scheduled for Israel mid-December, with big named metal artists from all over the world. The festival is being promoted by Patrick Levinsky.

“To all the participants of “Titans of Metal,” We are people from all around the world, asking participants of the Titans of Metal Festival to reconsider their concert in apartheid Israel, until Israel complies with international law and respects the rights of the indigenous Palestinian people.” This was written in an open letter on the BDS organization site with a petition telling the participants of Titans of Metal not to perform in Israel.

“The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement was launched in 2005 by the largest coalition in Palestinian civil society as a reaction to Israel’s ongoing policies of colonialism, military occupation, and apartheid towards the indigenous Palestinian people, including the denial of 7 million Palestinian refugees their fundamental right to return to their homes, as stipulated in UN resolution 194.”

The open public letters are not the same as the private emails that these artists are receiving: “already 4 participants have said to me that they are fearful for their lives.” said Levinsky, who after the Paris terrorist attacks, is now having to answer questions about venue security and what the boycotts demands are.” They have a right to be afraid as the private correspondence they are receiving is very different from the public ones. They are receiving real threats not to perform in Israel.”

Below is a text correspondence between the promoter and a participant of the festival.